Buzzsaw Beattie retains unblemished record

David Oliver

Stevie Beattie’s undefeated professional boxing career continued last night after a draw with Edinburgh’s Lee Redpath.

The Slammannan fighter slugged it out over six rounds with the southpaw at Bellahouston Sports Centre to round off MGM Scotland’s fight night which included the final eliminator bout for the British welterweight championship.

FH Stevie Beattie 01/10/2016

It was Beattie’s first fight over six rounds as a pro and he brought with it his typically relentless style. By the end he looked capable of at least another two with the step-up in ring-time being less significant than the step up in quality from his opponent. Beattie took both in his stride, if not the victory.

From the start the pace was fast and frantic – typical of a Stevie Beattie fight– but Redpath maintained the speed of a quickfire opening round where it was difficult to split the two.

As the fight progressed Redpath slowed slightly, bringing Beattie on as the more aggressive of the two, but the duo continued to be hard to separate with the Falkirk fighter untidier than his previous comprehensive victories but typically aggressive and busy.

There was no question Beattie was the foremost fighter, throwing shot after shot in quick succession but less landed than he’d hoped. Redpath was more selective in his shots and was boxing clever. He managed to respond, to stay well within the fight and stem the tide of Beattie’s barrage of blows and coaxed more frenzied swings from the MGM backed boxer who had a huge backing at ringside. None of the biggest blows landed, and Redpath stood the gruelling test to last until the final round against the odds, and onslaught.

FH Stevie Beattie 01/10/2016

The Kilsyth Golden Gloves and Sparta Grangemouth trained lightweight seemed to have the upper hand in the fourth and fifth, but the undefeated Edinburgh fighter had conserved some energy for the final round and it was again impossible to separate the unbeaten duo after a titanic tussle.

Neither could the referee who scored the fight 57-57, maintaining each unblemished record.

Beattie later admitted he’d welcome a rematch with his taller, more experienced opponent, after coming through six gruelling rounds and making another positive step in his pro career.

Also on the MGM Scotland bill, watched by famous boxer Amir Khan and Falkirk footballer Craig Sibbald, was Stephen Simmons who won by stoppage at the end of the fourth round and John Thain who earned a shot at the British welterweight title with a unanimous decision.

FH Stevie Beattie 01/10/2016

The hall also paid respects to ‘Iron’ Mike Towell, the Dundonian boxer who died in hospital following a fight at the St Andrew’s Sporting Club on Thursday night.

More from Stevie Beattie this week online and in The Falkirk Herald, out on Thursday.